


Hot Chocolate

by Doombunny



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:21:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21662854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doombunny/pseuds/Doombunny
Summary: This was written for the 25 days of Christmas Challenge that is hosted by  @panicfob .  The Day 3 Challenge prompt was Hot ChocolateWarnings: FluffPairing:  OFC x Tony Stark (platonic), OFC x Bucky Barnes (platonic)Summary: Belle Porter is finding her feet but another remember of the team is having a hard time.  Perhaps she can help
Relationships: Bucky Barnes/OFC, Tony Stark/OFC
Kudos: 8





	Hot Chocolate

Since Tony had staged his intervention with Belle she was starting to feel more a part of the team, It was hard for Belle some days to push through the discomfort that she felt when there was a long silence or when she didn’t know how to read the social queues of the others. Tony would laugh it off, Steve and Bucky would ignore her faux pas but Natasha and the others would explain later the mistake and how to avoid it.

The small gifts that she had bought for each member of the team sat carefully wrapped underneath the tree she had put up in her room. Wanda had helped her decorate it while she talked about Christmases with her brother. She had made an effort to share a meal with the others once a week and join in any group activities she could. 

Things had been quiet for the last couple of days as the majority of the team had been out on various recon missions, but now they were back and the usual chaos ensued . The only exception was Bucky, he was physically back but mentally it seemed to be taking a little longer for hm to dial back in. He was friendly to everyone but seemed to be spending more time on his own, and he would save his physical training until everyone else was done for the night. 

Belle enjoyed sitting quietly with Bucky. He never felt the need to fill the science or to make polite chit chat, but he was so withdrawn that she started to worry.

Steve had told her not to worry - it was just the fact that some aspects of the base had reminded him of his time in Hydra and it was taking him time to process it. The rest of the team just accepted that this was normal ad would squeeze his shoulder on the way past, but no one seemed to want to help him through it 

Belle sat in her room her tablet serving as a holo screen thanks to F.R.I.D.A.Y and the Stark tech that she had access to. She had looked over the data and had seen the strange pods so she went back into the public records on Bucky himself. There wasn’t much about his time with Hydra but there were images of the cryo chamber from Wakanda and she started to put things together in her head. Bucky was likely having flashbacks from seeing the chamber and the cold weather and the blanket of snow was probably acting as a trigger.

A little more research and she was done for the the night. Closing down the apps she headed to bed her plan established.

When Bucky Barnes walked into the Rec room he was hoping to get a hot cup of coffee and then head back to his own room. Seeing the Cryo chamber had him hearing the screams of the people that he had killed and the cold weather made what was left of his shoulder ache. He knew that the Soldat was gone, a part of his past exorcised by Shuri, but the guilt of his actions, would live with him forever.

The others were giving him his space and letting hm work through everything, but the guilt just kept eating away in his gut. It took him most of the day to want to eat and the heavy feeling it left behind made him sluggish, but he would push his body in the gym at night, hoping that exhausting himself would let him sleep. It didn’t help but it gave hime something to do.

His eyes were firmly fixed to the ground as he walked in, it was later in the day - closer to lunch than breakfast so there was a good chance that the others would be off doing something and he would get peace before he had to fix the smile on his face.

If he had been looking where he was gong, and if he had not been stuck in his own head he would have had some idea as to what was waiting for him, as it was Belle was glad for it because he was in the room before he had a chance to even think of avoiding her 

The first thing that clued him into the fact that things were not as planned was the soft music that greeted him. The smooth tones of Frank Sinatra flowed over him, accompanied by the soft crackle and click that let him know it was a vinyl record playing. He slowly looked up expecting to see Steve or maybe Nat waiting for him but was surprised to Belle sitting at the table waiting for him with an expectant grin.

“Hey Bucky” Her eyes were a little wide and her fingers twitched telling him that she was nervous

“Doll” he gave her as close to a real smile as he could. He was always conscious of the fact that Belle still hadn’t found her feet on a personal level and he always worried that he would make her feel unwelcome in some way with his reticence to talk. He had lots of ideas it was just that he couldn’t always find the words to express them.

Belle returned his smile as she stood and moved to pull out a chair that would allow him to sit with his back to the wall and keep an eye on the large glass widows and the door. 

“Come and grab a seat and let me bring you a drink”

“Um sure” he spoke quietly as he moved to sit “I um, wasn’t expecting anyone to be here”

“Yeah I figured” Belle called back fro the kitchen. I have a confession - I asked FRIDAY to let me know when it looked like you would head this way. I wanted to give you a surprise. I figured that the cold, after the mission might be difficult for you” Her voice grew louder as she walked back to him mug in hand

“I know that what you went through, it can’t be erased but I hoped that perhaps some memories of better times would help you push the bad ones back a bit”

She set the mug in front of him and stepped back. A rich warm, slightly spiced scent reached his nose and looking at the cup he saw rich dark hot cocoa.

“I know that you usually have coffee but I was doing a bit of research and it said that chocolate was rationed when you were growing up. I know you don’t like to treat yourself but I'm not sure if you’ve taken the time to enjoy a hot cocoa but I find that it helps keep the cold out

Bucky raised an eyebrow but wrapped both hands around the mug, taking a sip before letting out a little moan of pleasure as the rich hot cocoa coated his mouth. 

Belle sat at the far end of the table giving him his space and letting him enjoy the drink and his thoughts. It took until the end of the mug but he looked a little more relaxed.

“Would you like some more I made a big pot?” Belle questioned. She was back to looking nervous he noted 

“Sure, thanks”

“No problem, I -I know what it’s like to get lost in your own head and sometimes you need to just hang out and sometimes you need someone to show you a path out”

“Like what Tony did?”

Belle nodded “ Yeah like Tony did” he wondered if she knew she smiled very softly when she said Tony’s name. He didn’t want to push her so he changed the topic

“So what else did your research tell you ?”

“Well it said movies were popular, so I picked a Christmas one if you want to watch it while you drink. I don’t know if you saw it before everything. Its called “It;s a Wonderful Life””

“I’ve heard of It - it’s an old movie right ?”

“Yeah it was released in 1945”

“Sure I’ll give it a go, with more cocoa though”

Belle’s face lit up and she actually clapped her hands in joy before scurrying back to pick up his mug and gesture over to the sofas. 

Cosying down in the sofa for the first time since he had gotten back to the compound Bucky felt some kind of peace settle over him. Belle came over with a tray full of mugs resting them on the ottoman and Bucky raised an eyebrow

“The cocoa is good but I’m not sure that I can drink that much”

“Well that’s good news Pal because it smells awesome and I was hoping to snag a mug”. 

Glancing round Bucky saw Steve and the other members of the team heading though. He could feel himself tensing. He had been enjoying himself with Belle, but having to put on a front for the others wasn’t something he was looking to do. 

“Of course you can I made plenty for everyone, but this is Bucky’s day and were watching Christmas movies so if you want to join us you need to give us peace to watch the movie”

Bucky blinked in surprise. Belle never usually spoke to the others that way. Hell sometimes she still didn’t seem confident to speak at all, but here she was sticking up for him.

“Right Bucky?”

Her voice drew him back “Thats right Doll”

The others nodded grabbing drinks and and finding a seat, while Belle busied herself dimming lights and setting up treats and the movie. Tony was the last to enter, as usual. Bucky shook his head and wondered whether the man was ever capable of not making an entrance and being the centre of attention. 

Pausing with his cup to his mouth he looked over at the man who had, over time welcomed him into this crazy hodge podge of a family. Bucky had taken his own family from him but Tony gave him his. 

Brown eyes met blue over the top of Nat’s head as she and Tony argued for who got to sit in the large armchair Tony exclaiming that he paid for the damn thing so surely he should get to sit in it. Bucky nodded and smiled as the fight pulled the attention of the others away from him, and the movie choice Belle had made and Bucky felt himself start to relax again. 

Steve came to sit with him seemingly excited about the movie. He still hadn’t caught up with all the movies he had missed but to see one from close to his time with his best pal touched him in a way he couldn’t explain.

Thor solved the argument over the arm chair by walking in and taking it for himself a mug already in his hand.

“This is a most delicious treat Lady Belle, most delicious. We do not have a drink such as this on Asguard, I must take some with me when I return “ Belle smiled her thanks

“I’ll give you my recipe before you go - then you can enjoy this as part of your winter solstice there too” 

While the others settled themselves and fought for what they saw as prime position Belle prepared the last of her surprises for Bucky. By the time that she came out everyone was settled and ready

“Over here Snowflake” Tony called her over to the seat he had saved to make sure that she would have somewhere. 

Belle smiled gratefully she always felt like and idiot looking for somewhere to sit and Tony could be a lot of fun during the movies with funny comments and witty observations. Heading over she made sure to walk behind the sofa that Steve and Bucky sat on pausing by the quieter of the two men. 

“I’ve got one last thing to help if that’s ok” She whispered in his ear not wanting to draw to much attention to him

Bucky tilted back his head to see Belle holding out something long and floppy to him. He looked confused - and had no idea what it was

“May I?” Belle looked unsure how to go forward as he sat there looking at her so he just nodded his head 

The long floppy thing was draped around his neck and over his shoulder and seconds later a warm smell that reminded him somewhat of his mother made its way to his nose and a blissful heat started to soak into his shoulder and neck. The heat pulled a soft groan from him as muscles that he didn’t even know where tense started to relax.

“I can warm it up again later if you want. It’s a rice pack they’re supposed to help muscle aches”

Bucky just blinked, he couldn’t remember the last time that someone had looked out for him in such a comforting way. Hell the last time might have been his mother. He opened his mouth to say thanks only to see that Belle was already moving away to the spot Tony had saved for her. The movie started and he was drawn in to the familiar actors and the story line.

Tony sipped at his drink, half an eye on the movie the other on Bucky. He could see that the other man seemed to be feeling better and all because Belle had thought of ways that would help hm remember more pleasant things. She had explained her idea to him and as much as he had tried to talk her out of it she was determined to go ahead so he agreed to wrangle the rest of the team. He had been prepared to the come through and find her on her own but low and behold, the Tin Man was there and seemed quite happy. 

Leaning over he spoke quietly next to her ear “ You did good Kid. He looks better. Whats with the heat pack?”

Belle glanced over turning her head to whisper back “He was holding his arm funny and I wondered if the cold made it ache. I’ve read that can happen to amputees”. 

That wasn’t something that Tony had considered but it made sense. Perhaps there was something that he could do to help - maybe he would put a call in to Shuri. He rubbed his hand over his chin already rejecting ideas when a small soft hand touched his arm. Glancing down and back up to Belle he peered over the top of this glasses. 

“Leave if for tonight let's just all enjoy the movie with him”. Her eyes went back to the screen and his remained on her for a moment before shaking his head and taking a drink from his own mug.


End file.
